Opportunity to honor two local baseball icons in new stadium

• If naming rights aren’t sold – and we’re still more than three years away from the scheduled completion date – will the new facility still carry the Loeb Stadium name?

“Yes,” Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski said Thursday.

Selling naming rights is an option. The conceptual designs shown Wednesday will likely be altered before construction begins.

Roswarski will wait until American Structurepoint presents the final design before exploring discussions about naming rights.

“I think the public needed to see it and I think we’ve been talking about it and people needed to see the direction we’re going, but if somebody wants to donate enough money to put their name on it, I want to make sure what I show them is very close to what the final design would be,” he said.

• Wouldn't it be nice if the city incorporates the names of Paul "Spider" Fields and Harry Bradway into the new stadium?

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A conceptual drawing of proposed plans for the renovation of Loeb Stadium is revealed during a press conference Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at Loeb Stadium. Costs for the renovation are projected to be $16 million. Plans call for the renovation to begin in August 2019 and be completed in the fall of 2020. John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Local officials gather at home plate as plans for the renovation of Loeb Stadium are announced Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at Loeb Stadium. Costs for the renovation are projected to be $16 million. Plans call for the renovation to begin in August 2019 and be completed in the fall of 2020. John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Mayor Tony Roswarski is joined by other officials at home plate as plans for the renovation of Loeb Stadium are announced Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at Loeb Stadium. Costs for the renovation are projected to be $16 million. Plans call for the renovation to begin in August 2019 and be completed in the fall of 2020. John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Superintendent Claudine Laufman of Lafayette Parks department delivers opening remarks as plans for the renovation of Loeb Stadium are announced Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at Loeb Stadium. John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Mayor Tony Roswarski is joined by other officials as plans for the renovation of Loeb Stadium are announced Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at Loeb Stadium. Costs for the renovation are projected to be $16 million. Plans call for the renovation to begin in August 2019 and be completed in the fall of 2020. John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Local officials gather at home plate as plans for the renovation of Loeb Stadium are announced Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at Loeb Stadium. Costs for the renovation are projected to be $16 million. Plans call for the renovation to begin in August 2019 and be completed in the fall of 2020. John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Local officials gather at home plate as plans for the renovation of Loeb Stadium are announced Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at Loeb Stadium. Costs for the renovation are projected to be $16 million. Plans call for the renovation to begin in August 2019 and be completed in the fall of 2020. John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Mayor Tony Roswarski is joined by other officials as plans for the renovation of Loeb Stadium are announced Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at Loeb Stadium. Costs for the renovation are projected to be $16 million. Plans call for the renovation to begin in August 2019 and be completed in the fall of 2020. John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Dan McCloskey, Senior Project Engineer, American Structurepoint, discusses proposed renovation plans for Loeb Stadium Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at Loeb Stadium. Costs for the renovation are projected to be $16 million. Plans call for the renovation to begin in August 2019 and be completed in the fall of 2020. John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Dan McCloskey, Senior Project Engineer, American Structurepoint, discusses proposed renovation plans for Loeb Stadium Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at Loeb Stadium. Costs for the renovation are projected to be $16 million. Plans call for the renovation to begin in August 2019 and be completed in the fall of 2020. John Terhune/Journal & Courier

A conceptual drawing of proposed plans for the renovation of Loeb Stadium is revealed during a press conference Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at Loeb Stadium. Costs for the renovation are projected to be $16 million. Plans call for the renovation to begin in August 2019 and be completed in the fall of 2020. John Terhune/Journal & Courier

A conceptual drawing of proposed plans for the renovation of Loeb Stadium is revealed during a press conference Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at Loeb Stadium. Costs for the renovation are projected to be $16 million. Plans call for the renovation to begin in August 2019 and be completed in the fall of 2020. John Terhune/Journal & Courier

A conceptual drawing of proposed plans for the renovation of Loeb Stadium is revealed during a press conference Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at Loeb Stadium. Costs for the renovation are projected to be $16 million. Plans call for the renovation to begin in August 2019 and be completed in the fall of 2020. John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Guests look at conceptual drawings as plans for the renovation of Loeb Stadium are announced Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at Loeb Stadium. Costs for the renovation are projected to be $16 million. Plans call for the renovation to begin in August 2019 and be completed in the fall of 2020. John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Guests listen as plans for the renovation of Loeb Stadium are announced Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at Loeb Stadium. Costs for the renovation are projected to be $16 million. Plans call for the renovation to begin in August 2019 and be completed in the fall of 2020. John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Lafayette School Corporation Superintendent Les Huddle, left, is among guests on hand as plans for the renovation of Loeb Stadium are announced Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at Loeb Stadium. Costs for the renovation are projected to be $16 million. Plans call for the renovation to begin in August 2019 and be completed in the fall of 2020. John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Mike Jones, Controller for the City of Lafayette, discusses funding of the proposed renovation plans for Loeb Stadium Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at Loeb Stadium. Costs for the renovation are projected to be $16 million. Plans call for the renovation to begin in August 2019 and be completed in the fall of 2020. John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Mark Preston, Principal of Lafayette Jeff, discusses the impact renovation of Loeb Stadium will have on the Bronchos as plans for the renovation are announced Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at Loeb Stadium. Preston said the Bronchos will be displaced by the renovation for a year, but the long term benefits of a new stadium far outweigh any discomfort for the school. Costs for the renovation are projected to be $16 million. Plans call for the renovation to begin in August 2019 and be completed in the fall of 2020. John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Mayor Tony Roswarski, left, listens as Mark Preston, Principal of Lafayette Jeff, discusses the impact renovation of Loeb Stadium will have on the Bronchos as plans for the renovation are announced Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at Loeb Stadium. Preston said the Bronchos will be displaced by the renovation for a year, but the long term benefits of a new stadium far outweigh any discomfort for the school. Costs for the renovation are projected to be $16 million. Plans call for the renovation to begin in August 2019 and be completed in the fall of 2020. John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Mayor Tony Roswarski is joined by other officials as plans for the renovation of Loeb Stadium are announced Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at Loeb Stadium. Costs for the renovation are projected to be $16 million. Plans call for the renovation to begin in August 2019 and be completed in the fall of 2020. John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Dan McCloskey, Senior Project Engineer, American Structurepoint, discusses proposed renovations to Loeb Stadium following a press conference Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at Loeb Stadium. Costs for the renovation are projected to be $16 million. Plans call for the renovation to begin in August 2019 and be completed in the fall of 2020. John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Dan McCloskey, Senior Project Engineer, American Structurepoint, discusses proposed renovations to Loeb Stadium following a press conference Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at Loeb Stadium. Costs for the renovation are projected to be $16 million. Plans call for the renovation to begin in August 2019 and be completed in the fall of 2020. John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Local officials and guests mingle at home plate after plans for the renovation of Loeb Stadium were announced Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at Loeb Stadium. Costs for the renovation are projected to be $16 million. Plans call for the renovation to begin in August 2019 and be completed in the fall of 2020. John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Local officials and guests mingle at home plate after plans for the renovation of Loeb Stadium were announced Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at Loeb Stadium. Costs for the renovation are projected to be $16 million. Plans call for the renovation to begin in August 2019 and be completed in the fall of 2020. John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Under the current agreement, the Aviators pay $7,500 per year to the Parks and Recreation Department. The one facility in Tippecanoe County capable of hosting the Aviators is Purdue’s Alexander Field, which is set up to sell beer and features other amenities.

Purdue’s rental fee would likely make the move too expensive for the Aviators, who play 30 home games in the Prospect League.

The Colt World Series has entered discussions with Purdue to use Alexander Field for the 2020 tournament.

• One year ago, the projected cost – and the key word is projected – of a new stadium was in the neighborhood of $10 million to demolish the nearly 80-year old stadium and build a new facility in the same location inside Columbian Park.

The projected cost has increased to $16 million. Initially, the $10 million figure was just an estimate, especially considering Kokomo’s Municipal Stadium was built for $12 million. Lafayette's new stadium is expected to model the one in Kokomo.

The city plans to issue bonds for $16 million, but a contingency plan of 20-25 percent is built into the figure. The final amount may come in under the proposed amount.

“Probably a little bit of that is we’re going to go deeper than we thought we were going to go in lowering the field,” Roswarski said. “The first rendition made the seats really steep going up into a second level and that’s when they decided to lower the field even more.

“The contingency is there in case we hit something that nobody is thinking about that might be underground.”

Mayor Tony Roswarski is joined by other officials as plans for the renovation of Loeb Stadium are announced Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at Loeb Stadium. Costs for the renovation are projected to be $16 million. Plans call for the renovation to begin in August 2019 and be completed in the fall of 2020.(Photo: John Terhune/Journal & Courier)